Just For Giggles

I wanted to share this because it makes me laugh. A friend and I were having a conversation on AIM about "slow news days." You know what I mean; days when nothing is really happening. Here's a tidbit from our conversation. I hope it at least makes you smile.

FRIEND: Oh like how the other day on CNN they had this story about how the underwire of a womans bra saved her life...

ME: nah, that's just weird interesting news

FRIEND: two wars. economic collapse. imminent pandemic. and really you're going to talk about the bra that saved the day?

ME: bad news. bad news. bad news. wouldn't you want some uplifting news? no pun intended

FRIEND: LMAO

Who knew I could be so funny? I sure didn't!

Meeeeoww.

So if you haven't noticed by now, I'm a cat person. I can't wait until I have my own place and my own cat. Don't get me wrong though; I have two beautiful cats at my parent's home. One technically belongs to my brother and one is mine, but whatever. I could never just take mine (Malificent) away from her sister (Mercedes). I could never take both of them away for the dogs or my parents. So I must get my own cat. If it's a boy, I think I'll name it Maximus. I haven't figured out a girl's name yet.

Anyways, I'm reading this blog Lifehacker and they must be cat lovers over there because they have the cutest ideas. One of my favorites is the Cat Haven made from Ikea shelves. You need a little space, but the cat in the picture looks so happy. Another one of my favorites is the cat perch made from a wine crate. It's a great place for your cat, and it's rather stylish. I will definitely keep these ideas in mind for my future cats. Cute, huh?

Well this is even cuter. Check it out:



...love cats. Can't wait to adopt one.

Another Magazine Death Close To Home

Reading Gawker's Great Magazine Die-Off and Web sites like The Magazine Death Pool always make me sad. I hate watching the industry continue to fall apart.

Some magazine foldings hurt a little more than others. The first magazine fold that really affected me was JANE magazine. It had always been one of my favorites, and I happened to be interning there when it folded. So I experienced my first magazine folding at my first national magazine internship. It was really tough to pack up the office and watch my editors become unemployed.


It was even sadder watching it again while watching Fashionista Diaries. (I'm on three episodes, by the way. Although you'd never know because it's just my arm or the back of my head or my face is blurred out.) Although I'm glad I kept in touch with my editors, and they've all landed on their feet in great if not better positions.

Today another magazine I interned at folded: Conde Nast Portfolio.
Of course I'm not interning there now. In fact, I interned there directly after JANE magazine. I technically interned for the Web site because the magazine had not really begun its monthly publication. I never really imagined myself at such a magazine, but I really enjoyed my time there and met great editors. (Luckily, most of them had already moved on from the magazine before today.)

Nevertheless it still saddens me to see it fold. I also feel bad because it was one of the biggest magazine launches in recent years. (It launched in 2007.) There's definitely a lot of talk going on about it. You can read about it here (on their site) and here (from a former employee) and here.

I hope I don't see any of the other magazines I've interned at face the same fate. Something tells me they won't, but either way, I'm starting to get a little scared. Anyone else seen any magazine folds that hurt a little more than others? I hope not!

Book Rec for the Lovely Weekend

It took me two nights to finish The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's about author Juliet Ashton looking for a new subject to write about. She's living in London, in a subletted flat, in the year 1946--right after the end of World War II. She serendipitiosly receives a letter from a man named Dawsey Adams, who lives in Guernsey. During the war, Guernsey was occupied by the Germans and all means of communication had been cut off for the past five years.

During her correspondence with Mr. Adams, Juliet comes to learn about the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and an array of colorful people from the island.

I don't want to share much else because I hate spoiling books, but I will say that the entire book is made up of the letters that Juliet and her friends send each other. Some of the letters make you laugh, some make you want to cry. It's a great book, and I highly recommend it.

The characters truly come to life through the letters, and you're introduced (or at least I was) to different insights into the war. Check it out at the library or book store, find a nice place outside and get reading!

I'm Still Thunking!

Look! I remembered my Thursday Thunk post. It was a nice break from writing these ridiculous essays for job applications. Like I said last week, if you start playing, let me know!

1. If you could skywrite anything you wanted, what would it be?

JOURNALIST LOOKING FOR JOB! HIRE ME!

2. Did you get drunk at your prom?

Nope. I didn’t really start to drink until after high school. I feel it’s pretty overrated anyways.

3. What is your favorite spice to use cooking?

Does my Bojangles seasoning count? I love using it on French fries, tater tots and anything else potato. Otherwise, I don’t really cook and couldn’t tell you what spice would be good in what. Sad, I know.

4. What color is your roof?

You know, I have no idea. I live in an apartment building and have never made it to the roof. I will once they open the sundeck though.

5. In a land far, far away I _____________

….won the lottery, bought an island and did whatever I pleased!

6. In the Miss USA pageant, Miss California was asked; "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?" and her answer was; "Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Um, we live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and in, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman," Carrie said to a mix of boos and applause. "No offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be between a man and a woman." Do you think that cost her the crown?

Frankly, yes. I’m still glad she stuck to her beliefs though. Check below for my post on this subject.

7. Do you watch Miss USA/Miss America pageants?

Not usually, but I watched most of the one this year. When I was younger, I watched it all the time!

8. Have you ever driven/ridden on a tractor?

No, as a matter of fact. Have you?

9. For the parents - what cartoon/children show did your child watch obsessively? (Hey, if you aren't a parent, maybe a niece or nephew...)

Um, I am neither a parent nor an aunt. But I loved watching Doug, Zoobileezoo (or however you spell it), Rocco’s Modern Life, Hey Arnold, Rugrats, The Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain… the list could go on forever. But I also played outside a lot, too, I promise!

10. If I set a level on your living room floor - would it show that it was level?

It depends. Are the people below me having a party and blasting the base? Because if so, you probably wouldn’t be able to get an accurate reading.

11. What was the last restaurant you ate at?

I don’t know if you could really count this as a restaurant, but I had dinner at this movie house near me that serves food while you watch the movie. It’s really fantastic! I LOVE IT!

12. What's the picture on your wall calendar for this month?

Two little green frogs. One frog has his hand (?) covering the other frogs face. It's an animal calendar. No offense to the frogs, but I hope it's a furry animal in May.

13. Are you superstitious?

Sometimes. I’m not scared of black cats. Some things get me though. I don't like walking under ladders or playing Bloody Mary.

14. If I get into your car and turn on the radio - what type of radio station will I hear?

It’s either the Pussycat Dolls CD or the Rascal Flatts CD. I have no idea what’s on the radio because I haven’t found a station I like here yet.

15. Would you rather wake up with a snake in your bed or a lizard?

This may sound weird, but I’d prefer a (non-venomous, if possible) snake because lizards really creep me out. I don't know; I just feel they shouldn't have legs. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about them. YUK.

16. Do you think schools have changed at all since the Columbine tragedy 10 years ago? In what ways?

I think all schools were affected by Columbine. They’re more aware of these sorts of situations. Awareness is good. Some schools are more secure and many schools try to be. I’m sure there is more to talk about with this answer, but I don’t really like talking about it. Just a personal thing.

And It's Hot! Hot! Hot!

A friend and I were talking about how excited we were about the weather this weekend. We're in two different locations, but each place should be in the mid to high 80s. How exciting! I'll be trapped inside for most of the week writing essays to apply for jobs, but this weekend I'm definitely getting out. Anyways, it made me think of this site I recently found. (I forget where I found it. If it was you, let me know and I'll fix it with a shout out.) The site is called "The F***ing Weather." It's pretty funny, especially on days when the weather sucks.

I hope everyone plans to spend the weekend outside. If you're a fan of yard sales, you need to check out this site: Yard Sale Treasure Map. It will provide a map of all the yard sales near you on whatever day you want. Genius! Are you a bigger walker? Why not find out your neighborhood's Walk Score and see what's close to you? Or maybe you're moving and want to find a walk-friendly neighborhood. It's definitely a useful resource.

I have a friend visiting, so I'm be playing tourist again. We'll probably end up walking the National Mall, maybe the zoo and other fun places. What are your plans?

Miss North Carolina Wins!

So did anyone watch Miss USA Sunday night? Because I did. First, I'm so happy Miss North Carolina won simply because I'm from North Carolina. Second, I'm really annoyed with the media attention. To recap: Perez Hilton was a judge, and he posed a question to Miss California about gay marriage (surprise!). This was her answer:


I LOVED IT! Her answer was honest and true even in the face of Perez Hilton. Way to go, Miss California! Now I'm not saying I agree with her because I don't. I am glad she stuck to her beliefs. Ok, she didn't have the strongest answer. "Opposite marriages" still makes me giggle, but seriously, you get the point.

Perez, of course, didn't like the answer so much. Here's his response:


What makes me mad is that Miss California didn't even have the WORST answer to a question. At least she answered the question!! Did anyone see Miss Arizona's answer to the question about health care? What was her answer? Loosely worded: "Whatever we do, we should do it with integrity." ....really?

So I just watched Perez on MSNBC:


And here are my questions: Shouldn't both the President of the United States and Miss America both represent the entire nation? And since when can one person please everyone?

Media-Go-Round Spinoff

Wow, I've really dropped the ball on posting, huh? Well, you can take it two ways: you can be angry at me for not posting because I've been busy or you can be happy because I'm starting to have a life again. Anyways, on top of not posting, I've also forgotten to do a Media-Go-Round post for the past two weeks. But I hope you've kept up with it on your own. Anyways, I thought I just share a few things I found interesting.

- I got my first Mine magazine. First, they didn't even get my magazine choices correct. Lame, right? Although they did apologize and extend my subscription with another issue. I also now have the secrets to Tiger Woods' swing, which I wouldn't have if the switch up didn't happen. Second, I'm going to have to say I wasn't impressed. It was a really flimsy magazine with maybe one or two articles from each magazine. (Faithful readers, remember the post about dressing for your size, and I said it was probably from Glamour? I was wrong. It was from In Style, and I just re-read the article in Mine.) On the up side, it makes for good gym reading material, and I was one of the 31,000 to get a print copy. Want to read more about it? Click here.

- There's been a lot of magazines crossing the line when it comes to ads and articles. Some magazines are getting called out by ASME. (That's the American Society of Magazine Editors, if you didn't know.) This is how ASME explains itself and it's decisions. I kind of feel like it shouldn't matter what's on the cover of a magazine. In all honest, most magazines are pretty much one giant advertisement for thousands of products. It's sad, but true. And if it helps them sell at this point, good. Let them get back on their feet.

- So French Elle decided to put stars who aren't wearing any makeup on the cover of their April issue. Or so they claim. Yes, the women look a little tired, but I don't really notice any blemishes or anything. I don't think they're makeupless at all. That's just my opinion though. I like this guy's opinion, too. You ought to check it out.

- I've already posted about the whole 55-year-old intern thing, but it still makes me want to throw up a little. They actually set up an Executive Internship Program. I think I just died inside a little.

- Jossip folded today. Wait, I mean "it's on hiatus."

- My thoughts and prayers go out to Roxana Saberi and her family.

What Say You?

"Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers." --T.S. Elliot

Are You Stressed Out?

Did you know today is National Stress Awareness Day? Do you think they picked the day after taxes are due on purpose? Because I imagine that most people are acutely aware of their stress levels right now. I also imagine some people may be much more stressed than usual.

So I thought I’d share a few things to alleviate some of the stress you may or may not be feeling.

- Back up your LinkedIn contacts! Just in case something goes wrong (knock on wood), keep track of all the hard work you put into your LinkedIn connections by following the steps on Almost Savvy’s post. You’ll save contact information for all your connections, your profile and your recommendations. Then I suggest putting those files on one of those little storage thingies. You know what I’m talking about, right? BAM. Less stress!

- Laugh a little! I already shared one of my favorite sites, Fmylife.com, but there are so many other great ones. I literally laugh out loud a lot of the time. Two other sites that make me giggle are Said In Bed and One Sentence. Maybe it isn’t nice to laugh at others, but if they’re brave enough to post it online, chances are they’re laughing, too.

- Go bowling! Before you say it’s too expensive, here’s a coupon to AMF bowling centers. With it, you can play up to 10 games for 99 cents each. The coupon is good until April 30, so take your family or friends and relieve some of that pent up stress!

- Let go! My mom always tells me to take things one day at a time. You’d think this was easy, but it’s actually not. Use this link to learn how what to let go of and how to do it. It can’t hurt to try.

I Thunk I Can, I Thunk I Can

So my friend Cookie has recently started posting these “Thursday Thunks” posts. They seemed like fun, so I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon. Clearly these posts (when I remember it’s Thursday) will be a bit more on the personal side. I hope you enjoy it though, and if you start them too, let me know!

1. Recently Berleen and I discovered the allure of the Twilight series. Have you ever been sucked in to the latest "thing"? (Like Harry Potter, the movie Titanic, social networking, etc. etc. etc.)

Totally, I’ve already read the entire Twilight series. I’m kind of over that now. I’ve been doing the Facebook thing for a while, but I definitely hopped on the Twitter train. I actually like it, too. I never did the whole Harry Potter thing. I couldn’t get past the first page of the first book. I was 12-ish when Titanic came out, so Leo DiCaprio was (and still is) dreamy.

I think it’s safe to say I get sucked into the latest “thing” quite frequently.

2. What software do you use for your email?

I use Gmail. Is that considered software?

3. Are you comfortable being nude?

Quite honestly, no.

4. What is something you plan on doing this summer?

Go to Las Vegas with the girls! I’ve never been, so I’m super excited.

5. Do you have a favorite movie/book quote? If so, what is it?

A favorite? I can’t really pick one, so I’ll just share the one in my head.

“No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”

Do you know who said it and what movie it was said in???

6. How many email addresses do you have?

Two. Although I rarely check my school address anymore.

7. Is the sky falling?

It sure seemed like it yesterday, but I hope not.

8. Have you been to the Grand Canyon?

No, but maybe when I go to Vegas, I’ll see the Grand Canyon, too. That’d be pretty neat.

9. When was the last time you mailed a hand written letter?

Last Thursday. I’ve had to write a lot of Thank You notes lately. That counts, right?

Karma Wednesday

Nothing like a little break for a holiday. I hope everyone had a nice Easter/Passover/weekend, etc. I thought I'd just leave you with a few tidbits today.

1) My friend Michael Northrop officially has his first YA book out: Gentlemen. You should definitely pick it up and read it. The cover itself makes me want to pick it up and read it, which I will when I head to a bookstore. Check out the story behind it. I am excited to get my book autographed, too. Also, once upon a time, our luck/successes seemed to be closely linked, so hopefully, his luck will soon kickstart mine. He even has another book coming out in 2009: Trapped. Congrats!

2) My mile is getting better! I can run longer, too. How exciting. Although, I have some beef with health magazines (SELF included) and Web sites. I've recently decided I would try "interval sprinting" because I hear it helps trim tummy fat more than just running regularly. So I looked into some "rountines" to try out like this one. YEESH! Can you make a beginner running rountine please? I'm excited if I run 15-2o mins with maybe one minute of running a little faster than ususal. I tried to add a few interval sprints today and ended up with my left foot cramping up. Oh well. I guess I'll try again tomorrow.

3) It's TAX DAY. Hope you turned in your taxes, get a sweet refund and scored some great deals today. I actually turned in my taxes a while ago and got my tax refund. It sort of funded my visit to NY back in March.

Ok, I think I'm going to spend some time reading before bed. I'm currently reading Women & Fiction: Short stories by and about women. It was published in 1975. So far, it's not bad, but I really did not enjoy Gertrude Stein's Miss Furr and Miss Skeene. Good night for now.

Break for Easter

Hi there, sorry for the lack of postings. Last week was pretty busy, and I'm currently spending some time with my family for Easter, etc. But check out the cutest little bear cubs I saw today. (Regular posting should return around Tuesday or Wednesday.)

Rhymes, Sonnets and Couplets! Oh my!

How exciting! April is National Poetry Month. I happen to be a big fan of poetry. In fact before I became wrapped up in the world of journalism, I was constantly writing poetry (especially in those angst-y teen years).

One of my all-time favorite poets is Emily Dickinson. She was born December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts, and spent most of her life as a recluse. She’s probably most famous for her “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” poem. She is also responsible for one of my favorite quotes: “A word is dead when it is said some say. I say it just begins to live that day.”

Here is one of my favorite poems by her:

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labor, and my leisure too,
For his civility.

We passed the school where children played
At wrestling in a ring;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.

We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.

Since then ’t is centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses’ heads
Were toward eternity.

What about you? Which poets do you enjoy reading? Do you write poetry? Please share!

NCAA CHAMPS AGAIN!

The 2009 NCAA Championship title belongs to UNC, baby! What a sweet, sweet night.

Final score? UNC 89, Michigan State 72.

I wish I had been in Chapel Hill to rush Franklin Street, but I guess winning it in 2005 will have to be enough... for now.

I'm so happy for Tyler Hansbrough though. He totally deserves the win.

Man, I love being a Tar Heel!!

Rearranging My Sheep

If you haven’t noticed, sometimes I post things into the wee hours of the morning. I’m attempting to work on regulating my sleep habits, and I’ve been reading up on getting better sleep for a while now. Some ideas are not applicable to me (like drinking caffeine late at night; I only drink it in the morning if at all) and some ideas just won’t work (like reading before bed; if I get really into the book, I won’t put it down until I’m done). So I thought I’d share some of the ideas that sounded like they could possible work. After all, I know some of you are up in the wee hours, too.

- Get some sunlight! (should be easier now that spring is here) You’re body recognizes that sunlight means daytime and no sunlight means nighttime. How? When the light goes away, your body produces a hormone called melatonin, which (surprise!) promotes sleep. Your body doesn’t equate indoor light with the light outside either. So being indoors all day has a different effect on melatonin, which can interrupt your sleep.

- Tidy up before bed. A messy room/house can increase your stress levels. Who knew? Stress, in turn, affects your sleep!

- Take a hot shower/bath approximately two hours before bedtime. Apparently when your body temperature cools, it makes it easier to sleep and stay asleep. By taking a hot shower/bath, you raise your temperature (duh). But a few hours later, your body temperature drops, and then you can (hopefully) sleep.

- Get serious with that internal clock. As creatures of habit, if you (try) to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, seven days a week, your body will eventually register this schedule. It will get easier to fall asleep on time. (I just have to shift my internal clock back a few hours and I’ll be set!)

Ca-Ching!

Self recently launched a new blog, Save Like Me, and I love it. It’s so personal and so informative, which I think make for a generally fabulous blog.

One blog post that really got my attention was “My Favorite Ez Money Saver.” I was like, “Oh! A money saver tip! I love saving money!” I really do, too. I absolutely hate spending my own money. I squirrel it away in bank accounts or piggy banks or little bags tucked away in my underwear drawer. But then I read it. She suggests saving every five dollar bill you get.

Sounds pretty genius, if you have a continual flow of cash in and out of your wallet. Do I? Not so much. I often rely on check and credit cards to get me through the day, with an emergency cash stash just in case someone doesn’t take cards.

I’m just starting off in this whole “real world” adventure, so to me, five bucks is still a lot of money. Seriously. I’m not kidding. I imagine a lot of you are just starting off, too. So this is my take on the Ez Money Saver:

Idea 1: Save one dollar bill every time you get change from something! So if you buy a magazine that costs about three dollars with a five dollar bill that you don’t feel fully comfortable saving yet, you save AT LEAST one of those dollars you get back!

Idea 2: Save your change! I recently went out to eat with my aunt, and this guy passed by me dropping all his change. Being the nice person I am, I bend down to help him recover his loss. He says, “Don’t worry about it!” and runs out of the place. I continue to collect his change and proceed to put it in my pocket. I just made 73 cents. Then I went home and added the change to my super cool “piggy bank” that counts my money as I put it in. I love watching the number get bigger and bigger. Love it! But the point is, don’t be like that crazy guy and forget your change. Every penny adds up. So empty out your wallet or pick up that penny on the street (I pick up all the pennies I see. Sorry, but an extra penny is always good luck whether heads up or down.), and throw it in a super cool piggy bank like me or use a coffee can or use a sock. Just save it.

Idea 3: This idea is more for a card carrying person. If the purchase is under five dollars, don’t use your card. If you don’t have the cash, don’t get it. If you do have the cash, please go back to idea 1. Presto! You’ve saved!

I'll Always Be a Carolina Girl

I posted a New York opportunity earlier, so it’s only fair to head down south to North Carolina now. Strange, but I actually got the tip from a friend in New York though. Nevertheless, it’s so cool, and I’m so jealous!

On May 17-19 (a little early, but always helpful to plan ahead), Theatre in the Park, Raleigh’s premier regional theatre (I didn’t even know this existed!), will stage a special production of Romeo & Juliet starring JUSTIN LONG (LOVE LOVE LOVE HIM) and Evan Rachel Wood. It’s supposed to be a 1930s take on the Shakespeare classic. It’s $50 per ticket (a little pricey, I know, but still really cool). To get info on times and how to make a reservation, check out the Web site.

And if you plan to go, GET ME JUSTIN LONG’S AUTOGRAPH. Please?

I Want to Smell Like a Tar Heel!

I’ve been meaning to post about this forever, but I suppose now is a great time with it being March Madness and UNC in the FINAL FOUR!

Masik is a fairly new fragrance company that just can’t leave its college years behind. So what’s their solution? Collegiate perfumes and colognes! So far only UNC-Chapel Hill and Penn State have fragrances, but they have a bunch of other colleges smells on the way.

So how does one create the essence of a college in a bottle? At Masik, they consider school colors, mascot spirit, traditions and history, landmarks and architectural style, campus trees and flowers, mission statements, college town character, and themes in the alma mater and fight songs. Strange to think those things matter when making a scent, but according to them:

“Of the five senses, only our sense of smell is linked directly to the brain’s limbic system or emotional control center. Because of this link, a particular scent or fragrance can evoke memories and emotions before we are even consciously aware of them.”

So what are the deets? A 3.4 oz bottle of UNC-CH’s women perfume costs $60. (Yikes, someone buy it for me?) You can buy it on their Web site or UNC Student Stores or Johnny T-Shirt in Chapel Hill or a few random other places. (And to be honest, I don’t care much about the other scents or where you can buy them.)

Crazy, right? Do you want to smell like your college? Because I kind of want to see what Carolina smells like…

Part of Why I Love New York

Again, if it must be said, I love SELF magazine. Period.

So if you're in the New York area, check out this opportunity:

SELF magazine is looking for women between the ages of 20 and 40 to help us taste some delicious, healthy foods! All you need to do is eat up and then vote for your favorites. The tests will be held at our offices located at 4 Times Square and will run from 7-8 p.m. We are looking for participants to come in on one of the following dates: Tues. April 7th, Wed. April 8th, Thurs. April 9th, Tues. April 14th, Wed. April 15th, or Thurs. April 16th. If you are interested, please email us at SelfFoodAwards@gmail.com with your name, phone number, and ALL of the dates you are available.

Unfortunately, I'm not helping out with this nor will I be around to test it. But, if you are, do it! Free food!

The Beauty of a Good Deal

With spring finally arriving and summer on its way, it’s time to shove those sweatpants and heavy jackets back into the depths of your closet and bust out the tank tops! And since you’ll probably be going out more, you’ll probably start to beautify yourself a little more. Well guess what! It’s a good time for that because there are so many great beauty sales happening right now!

My good friend Ale, over at SELF’s Beyond The Beauty Pages blog, has found some amazing deals just for you. (She, along with the other great gals in the beauty department, is also keeping track of spring trends, in case you’re clueless on what to buy!)

And if that’s not enough, check out this coupon for a free Signature Collection Body Care item with a $10 purchase at Bath & Body Works (good until April 12) and this coupon for a free mini body lotion with no extra purchase at Victoria’s Secret (good until April 12). You can also get a free Naturally Tote with a $25 purchase using the same VS coupon until April 6.

And if that’s not enough, get yourself ready for Spa Week, where lots of spa around the country are offering fabulous treatments for a mere $50 starting April 13. Some of these treatments are actually worth up to $300 and maybe more. Book your appointments now though!

Very Poor Choice

If you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty interested in magazines. When I was younger, I read all the teen magazines: Teen, CosmoGIRL!, YM, Seventeen and others. (Sadly, I just missed the Sassy era.) Now that I’m older, I read Glamour, SELF (love it!), Cosmo, Shape, Fitness, O The Oprah Magazine, People, Real Simple and pretty much whatever else I can get my hands on. Makes sense, right? As I get older, my interests shift, which I imagine is the same for the rest of these magazines’ audiences.

So then why is Miley Cyrus on the cover of Glamour?! I feel confident in saying that this 16-year-old does not have the same interests as me. I’m a 20-something-year-old. What about your older readers, Glamour? People claims it’s "pretty cool" for her to land her first women’s magazine cover at 16. Is it really? I say no.

The cover story is titled "America’s Most Famous Girl Grows Up," but I nor TheFrisky.com are buying it. Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against Miley. In fact, I think she belongs on the cover of Seventeen. And when she reaches her 20s, then by all means, have her on the cover of Glamour. Maybe by then she’ll have grown up a bit more.

Right now her "life-changing" relationship was her first "real" relationship at age 13 with Nick Jonas. Well, maybe I’m wrong, but I imagine anyone’s first real relationship is life changing because well…. it’s your first even if it was "hard core". But hey, her life is moving at a higher speed than most people. They don’t have their first life-changing relationship until they’re 19 or 20, she claims. It gets better though. Next she goes on about her new boyfriend Justin Gaston:

“The best thing that’s happened to me in a long, long time has been meeting Justin [Gaston]," she moons. "He’s the most respectful and selfless person I’ve ever known.”

A long, long time? Let’s see, dated Nick Jonas at 13 for two years. Now she’s 15. Just turned 16 in November. How long exactly would you consider "a long, long time" to be?

I realize she’s promoting her new movie, Hannah Montana: The Movie, which is after all rated G. But Glamour, I know you can do better than this. Even Whitney Port, Cosmopolitan’s choice for May (not a strong cover either, but oh well) would have been a better choice.

Thia makes me a little sad inside.

Women and Men, Pt. 2

I told you this story was never-ending. Below is a man’s POV on women and today we have a woman’s POV on men. Amelia on TheFrisky.com wrote “Seven Things I Learned About Men From Working at Maxim.” After working at Maxim for two and a half years-ish, a predominantly male work zone, here’s a few of the lessons she learned:

Her Truth: All men are nerds.

She means that men aren’t necessarily sexist jocks (although she admits some are). What I got out of this lesson was that most guys actually end up being normal people with strange quirks. That’s a comforting thought, right?

Her Truth: Guys don’t kiss and tell nearly as much as women do.

I think as a generalization this might stand, but I know for a fact that some guys kiss and share every detail. Women are definitely worse though. This goes along with a lesson in the other story: a date isn’t over until she’s shared it with her friends. I wonder what keeps guys from not sharing as much though.

Her Truth: Men love dares.

When I read this, all I could think about was “I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU” from A Christmas Story. She has some pretty funny examples, too. Wearing women’s tennis outfits to staff meetings? Definitely amusing. It kind of makes me wonder what I can trick my guy friends into doing.

I’ll say that her list wasn’t as funny as the other list, but it’s still worth reading. The prank one was pretty good. Maybe it’ll help with some last minute April Fool’s pranks.